Office indicator



Febo 12 1.9.24a

O. G. GERNER OFFICE INDICATOR Filed March 30. 1925 Yu! E w a -f @tto G. Gerne?, I J- ELEASE RENG Dmmlhhi b"- you Ditcdly r.so

`Fatenied Feb. l2, i924.

Unirse .STATES OTTO G. GERNER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

OFFICE INDICATOR.

Application filed March 30, 1923. Serial No. 628,710.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, OTTO G. GERNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in an Office Indicator, ot' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toa device for use of professional and other oiiice people, to be displayed for indicating the presence of an individual at his customary place, or absence and `probable time of his return, or absence for an indenite period, and is particularly of advantage in instances where two or more individuals have private oliices or consulting-rooms communicating with a main waiting room, since a client, patient or other inquiring person or visitor may be automatically informed of the absence or may be readily brought into communication with the particular individual wanted without confusion or inquiryfand without requiring the presence of an attendant. h h

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and convenient device bearing the name of the individual, which may be placed in a conspicuous position and may be quickly set to indicate his presence in his private oice or consulting-room; also may be set to indicate the hour of his return, it' temporarily absent,.or that he is oiia vacation, or is ill, or out of the city, or other speci-lic information denoting an inn definite terni of absence; another object being to` provide an audible signal for calling the individual from his private oiiice to the waiting-rooin, and means operating automatically for answering the signal, and requesting` the visitor to be seated, should the individual be engaged and not able immediately to answer in person. The invention also includes certain compartments for the exhibition of .placards oir announcement-plates 'bearing information relating to the name of the individual, his presence, or absence from the otice.

With tlieftoregoing `objects in view the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as described herein and claimed, and as illus -trated in lthe accompanying drawing, where- Fig. l is a iti-ont view ot tlie device when the movable casing has been swung upwardly and atter the electric buzzer has been sounded. Fig. 2 sho-ws the device mounted upon a wall or other support, the movable lcasing `being swung downwardly. Fig. 3 is a view of the device in longitudinal section and secured `to a support, the movable casing being swung upwardly. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the disc-shaped announcement-plate shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 isv a Jfront view of the announcement-plate. Fig. 6 illustrates an electrical circuit.

Referring now to the drawing, the device consists in part, of an upright, stationary box or casing l adapted to be secured to a wall 2 or other support, and a movable casing 3, hinged or pivotedas indicated at et, to the top of the stationary casing l.

.The movable casing `3 is provided `with a circular recess 5 opening on one of its sides,

the 'face or bottom of said recess being provided with words of information 'm and with hour-numerals 6; also hour and minute-hands a and Z) being provided therein and arranged on a pivot to be swung manually to indicate to a visitor the expected time ot return, if the individual is temporarily absent from the oiice, said casing 3 for this purpose being first swung downwardly to a position at the front of the stationary casing, as shown in Fig. 2. The movable casing is also provided with compartmentsr 7 and 8.

Numeral 9 indicates a name-plate adapted to be inserted in the compartment 7 or to be removed therefrom, an aperture 10 `being provided in the wallet the casing so that the name may be seen.

Numeral 1l indicates a second name-plate,

corresponding to the naine-plate Q, adapted to be inserted in the compartment 8, or to be removed therefrom, an aperture l2 being provided 1n the, wall at the opposite side of the casing from the aperture l0, to permit the name to be visible.

Numeral lzindicates anelectric buzzer provided with a push-button c, and at l/ t is indicated au incandescent lamp, these beinginountedin the stationary casing and being in communication` by means ot an electrical conductor 15 energized by any suitable source of electrical supply, as' the electrical battery 16, an electrical conductor lT leaifling 'from the latter to the buzzer,` and ec y it will be understood that, by use of the buzzer, illumination will occur within the casing.

Numeral 18 indicates a compartment which is provided in the stationary casing, adjacent to the the lamp 14, for receiving two glass plates 19 and 2O to be disposed side-by-side, an aperture 21 being formed in the wall of this casing to permit an unobstructed view from the front, the plate 19 nearest to the outer side ot the casing being translucent, and the plate 20, adjacent to the lamp, and designated as an announcement-plate, being provided with woros indicated at 22 ig. 1) tending to inform the visitor that the individual is engaged, temporarily, and requesting the visitor to be seated; and it will be understood that, on account of the provision ot the transparent plate, the words indicated at 22 thereon will not be visible to the visitor unt-il after the buzzer' has been sounded; also that the act of sounding the buzzer will cause, coi-incident therewith, an illumination of the casing, the brilliancy ot the illumination being sufiicient in degree to permit the words 22 to be plainly visibile. While glass has been speciiicall-y mentioned for use in constructing the plates 19 and 20, any other suitable material may be used, the important feature beingthat the words indicated at v22 will not be visible until the casing has been illuminated.

Numeral 23 indicates an announcementplate of disc-form' provided with words 24, informing the visitor that the individual is out of the city, and after the casing 3 .has been swung downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, it may be placed, to cover the dial, in the recess 5 and may be removably secured therein by itsy flange Z which may engage in circular wall of said recess.

It will of course be understood that other Vannouncement-plates, and any desired number of them. may be used, each beingadapted to be substituted for the plate 23, said plates bearing varying data and announcing reasons' why?, the individual is absent from the office, this feature being oft' especial advantage in instances where a waitingr announcing words indicated at 22, for the transparent plate 20, may be changed, it desired.

In the use of the device, an individual upon entering his ofiice, may swing the casing 3 upwardly to be held by the catch-- ymember 25, and it is obvious `that the side oit the casings then exposed to view will exhibit words indicated at 9 and 26, representing that the individual is in his private office and requests a vistor to please ring," the translucent glass 19 in the aperture 2i at that time appearing as a blank and the words at 22 not beingy visible. However, upon pressing the push-botton c the buzzer will be sounded and the words indicated at 22 will then be visible, informing the visitor that the individual is busy7 but will be in attendance direct-ly, and invites the visitor to beseated, the advantage of this construction being that, in operation, the signal., and illumination and vannouncement 22 saves the time of the individual and dispenses with the personal services oit an at tendent.

Upon leaving his office the individual may release. the casing 8 'from its spring-catch and swing it downwardly, and if his absence is to be temporary he may set the hands a and Z) to indicate the intended time for his return, and if his absence is to be for an indefinite period he may place the disc-shaped announcement-plate 24 in the recess 5, thereby covering thel numerals 6 and hands a and b, and giving` a reason for his absence, or such information as may be pro vided for a plate of similar form to the plate 24, which as above mentioned, may be substituted for said plate 24.

iVhile I have described details of construction, 'I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in this respect, and changes in size, form, proportion and minor details may be made, said changes being determined by the scope of the invention a's claimed.

l/Vhatl claim as my invention is,-

1. In an ofce indicator, al stationary, up-

right casing,k.a second casing hinged tothe top and adapted to be swung downwardly to the front or to be swung upwardly from the stationary casing, a name-plate and Awords of information and a numbered dial on the side of the: second casing that is exposed when said casing has been swung downwardly to the front or the stationary casing, an obscured announcement-plate provided with words and a movable push-button .on the side of the stationary casing adapted to be exposed when the second casing has been 4swung upwardly, a name-plate and words of direction on the second casing adapted to be exposed when said second casing has been swung upwardly, hands pivoted to ,the second casing centrally oft vthe dial, and means operative by a movement ot the push-button for directing rays of light to the obscured announcement-plate.

2. In an office indicator, a stationary, upright casing, a second casing hingeably connected and adapted to be swung downwardly to the front or to be swung upwardly from the stationary easing, a catch for holding the second casing when it has been 'nvungr ilo words and a movable push-button on the side,

l of the stationary casing adapted to be exposed when the second casing has been swung upwardly, a name-plate and Words of direction on the second casing adapted to be exposed when said second casing has been swung upwardly, hands pivoted to the second casing centrally of the dial, an incandescent lamp in the casing, an electrical signalmember, an energized, normally open electrical circuit including said lamp and signal-member, Said electrical circuit being adapted to be closed by a movement of the push-button for causing illumination of the announcement-plate.

3. In an o-lice indicator, a stationary, upright support, a second support hingeably connected with and adapted to be swung downwardly to the front or to be swung upwardly from the stationary support, a catch for holding the second support when it has been swung upwardly, an obscured an* nouncement-plate provided with words and a movable push-button on the side of the stationary support adapted to be exposed -when the second support has been swung upwardly, a name-plate and words of direction on the second support adapted to be exposed when said second support has been swung upwardly, and means operative by a movement of the push-button for causing rays of light to be directed to the announcement plate.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO G. GERNER. Witnesses:

W. E. SAGE, H. O. KALLESTAD. 

